Fortunate Mafeta Phaka

Last updated
Fortunate Mafeta Phaka
Born12 July 1987
Mamelodi, South Africa
NationalitySouth African
Other namesThe Scribe
Alma mater University of South Africa

North-West University

Hasselt University
Awards Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans (2016)

South African Breweries Environmental Media Awards and Environmentalist of the Year (2019)

Contents

Mail & Guardian Greening the Future Award (2022)

Golden Shield Heritage Award (2022)
Scientific career
Fields Herpetology

Environmental science

Biocultural diversity research
Thesis Biocultural diversity of herpetofauna in South Africa: State and relevance as a science-based policy tool for conservation and social inclusion  (2022)
Doctoral advisor Louis du Preez, Jean Hugè and Maarten Vanhove

Fortunate Phaka (born July 12, 1987, in Mamelodi) is a South African environmental scientist, author, environmental television producer and science communicator. He is best known for research focused on herptiles, studying the relationship between biodiversity and people's cultural diversity, and writing South Africa's first comprehensive wildlife guide for frogs to be jointly published in an Indigenous language (IsiZulu) and English. His academic affiliations for postdoctoral research are with South Africa's North-West University and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, as well as Belgium's Hasselt University. [1] [2] [3] Phaka is also on the board of directors for Youth 4 African Wildlife, a youth-focused wildlife conservation non-profit organisation operating in Southern Africa. [4] Phaka also has a superhero scientist, called The Scribe, [5] based on him and his work.

Early life and education

Phaka spent most of his childhood in Mamelodi township on the outskirts of Pretoria and his ancestral village of Kgotsoro in the Limpopo province. [6] [7] He attended Moretele Primary School and Pula Difate Primary School, and went on to attend high school at SA College Private School, Meridian College, and Gatang Secondary School. After matriculating from Gatang Secondary School, he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of South Africa. His Honours and Master's degrees were obtained from the North-West University in 2016 and 2018 respectively. He then graduated with a joint PhD in 2022 from North-West University and Hasselt University under the mentorship of professors Louis du Preez, Jean Hugè and Maarten Vanhove. [8] [9] Phaka's inspiration to pursue an academic career and become the first generation postgraduate degree holder in his family's history was inspired by the work ethic of his mother (a nurse) and uncle (a school teacher). Due to the high cost of university tuition fees, Phaka's tuition was funded through postgraduate scholarships, bursaries obtained through the Youth 4 African Wildlife organisation, his mother, and his ad-hoc work in television and conservation.  

Career

Frog book and scientific publications

From 2016, Phaka's research has focused on investigating biodiversity and the complex relationship it has with people's cultural diversity with the aim of understanding how South African traditional cultural practices that are based on herptiles can be used to inform policy for socially inclusive conservation planning as South Africa's environmental law envisaged. [8] [9] [10] The first output of Phaka's biocultural diversity inspired approach to herpetology was the field guide titled A Bilingual Field Guide to the Frogs of Zululand which was developed in collaboration with Amazulu of the Zululand region, phrased according to how the community perceived anuran diversity and published in English and Isizulu as the most widely spoken language in the region. [11] [12] Subsequent to this book, Phaka has produced scientific literature whose highlights include showing a link between the cultural importance of wildlife and the accumulation of biodiversity data for that wildlife, [13] cataloguing herptile species in South Africa's urban traditional medicine markets using DNA barcoding, [14] and initiating the compilation of a comprehensive list of Indigenous language names for South Africa's ≈550 herptile species. [15]

Books

Selected scientific publications

[16]

  • Phaka, Fortunate M., et al. "Folk taxonomy and indigenous names for frogs in Zululand, South Africa." Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine 15.1 (2019): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-019-0294-3
  • Phaka, Fortunate Mafeta, and Dax Ovid. "Life sciences reading material in vernacular: lessons from developing a bilingual (IsiZulu and English) book on South African frogs." Current Issues in Language Planning 23.1 (2022): 96–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2021.1936397
  • Phaka, Fortunate M., et al. "Reviewing taxonomic bias in a megadiverse country: primary biodiversity data, cultural salience, and scientific interest of South African animals." Environmental Reviews 30.1 (2022): 39–49. https://doi.org/10.1139/er-2020-0092
  • Ovid, Dax, and Fortunate Mafeta Phaka. "Idwi, Xenopus laevis, and African clawed frog: Teaching counternarratives of invasive species in postcolonial ecology." The Journal of Environmental Education 53.2 (2022): 69–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2022.2032564
  • Phaka, Fortunate M., et al. "Library books as environmental management capacity building opportunities exclude most South African languages." Environmental Science & Policy 141 (2023): 61–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2022.12.020

Conservation career

Phaka began his conservation career in 2006 as a volunteer at the South African National Zoological Gardens during his undergraduate years. After obtaining his undergraduate degree he became a conservation intern for Youth 4 African Wildlife in 2014 and through the years progressed to be the organisation's project leader, project director, then eventually became elected as one of the board members. [17] Through the organisation Phaka has been involved with Big 5 conservation through fundraising, science communication, teaching, poaching prevention, and advocacy. [18]

Television career

Due to the cost of undergraduate studies being too high for his mother to afford by herself, Phaka dropped out to learn wildlife documentary filmmaking in 2009 and afterwards he was hired as the trainee researcher/producer for South Africa's longest running environmental TV show, 50. Subsequently, Phaka worked various roles as a freelancer in the television industry and produced his first environmental documentary, commissioned by 50|50, titled ‘Green Darkies’ in 2011. Phaka then returned to the University of South Africa to complete his undergraduate studies while still working freelance in the TV industry to help his mother pay for his studies. The TV experience he gained inspired his science communication involvement as he continued with postgraduate studies. His TV production skills and research focus on biodiversity's relationship with people's cultures was combined in 2020 when he was the content producer for Imvelogy; a TV show that aired on SABC2 which explored environmental issues from the perspective of South Africa's Indigenous cultures.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2010 50/50 Trainee Producer/ResearcherEnvironmental TV series
2010Life and Wonder of Odonata [19] Script Advisor Wildlife Documentary
2011Green Darkies [20] DirectorShort documentary for Environmental TV series
2011–201350/50FreelancerEnvironmental TV series
2014Not on my Watch [21] Producer and screenWriterWildlife Documentary
2020–2021Imvelogy [22] Content ProducerEnvironmental TV series

Outreach and policy

The research produced by Phaka generally has recommendations that inform integrative conservation approaches. In 2020 Phaka started an initiative to communicate herptile knowledge in South Africa's 9 officialised Indigenous languages as the country's wildlife field guides are mostly published in English with comparatively fewer being published in Afrikaans. [23] He has also written a technical brief based on his research meant to demonstrate to South African policymakers how Indigenous people's perspectives can be incorporated into conservation policy. [24] Some of the Indigenous South African language names coined for frogs through Phaka's work appear on online information sources, such as the iselesele page on Zulu Wikipedia and AmphibiaWeb, next to English and scientific names. [25]

Awards and honours

Phaka received multiple honours for his commitment to research that is inclusive of Indigenous South African cultural practices as these are practices of people who are generally marginalised from issues relating to South Africa's natural environment and conservation planning generally does not consider their perspectives.

2022:   Mail & Guardian Greening the Future Award [26]

2022:   Enviropeadia's Ecologic Award (Runner-up for Eco-Angel category) [27] [28]

2022:   Golden Shield Heritage Award (Runner-up for ‘Voice of Heritage’ category) [28]

2020:   Enviropeadia's Ecologic Award (First prize for Eco-Angel category) [5]

2019:   Environmental Community Award (South African Breweries Environmental Media Awards and Environmentalist of the Year) [29]

2019:   One of the 100 Young Mandelas of the Future (Curated by News24) [30]

2018:   National Wetland Indaba Young Professional Award [31]

2017:   Future Leader of Amphibian Conservation Award (Amphibian Conservation Research Symposium) [32] [33]

2016:   One of the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herpetology</span> Study of amphibians and reptiles

Herpetology is a branch of zoology which studies amphibians and reptiles. Birds, which are cladistically included within Reptilia, are traditionally excluded here; the separate scientific study of birds is the subject of ornithology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife</span> South African wildlife conservation organisation

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is a governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wildlife conservation areas and biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Their headquarters is in Queen Elizabeth Park situated on the northern slopes of Pietermaritzburg, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial capital. Prior to 1994, it was known as the Natal Parks Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife conservation</span> Practice of protecting wild plant and animal species and their habitats

Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to maintain healthy wildlife species or populations and to restore, protect or enhance natural ecosystems. Major threats to wildlife include habitat destruction, degradation, fragmentation, overexploitation, poaching, pollution, climate change, and the illegal wildlife trade. The IUCN estimates that 42,100 species of the ones assessed are at risk for extinction. Expanding to all existing species, a 2019 UN report on biodiversity put this estimate even higher at a million species. It is also being acknowledged that an increasing number of ecosystems on Earth containing endangered species are disappearing. To address these issues, there have been both national and international governmental efforts to preserve Earth's wildlife. Prominent conservation agreements include the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). There are also numerous nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) dedicated to conservation such as the Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, the Wild Animal Health Fund and Conservation International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Costa Rica</span> Wildlife in Costa Rica

The wildlife of Costa Rica comprises all naturally occurring animals, fungi and plants that reside in this Central American country. Costa Rica supports an enormous variety of wildlife, due in large part to its geographic position between North and South America, its neotropical climate, and its wide variety of habitats. Costa Rica is home to more than 500,000 species, which represent nearly 5% of the species estimated worldwide, making Costa Rica one of the 20 countries with the highest biodiversity in the world. Of these 500,000 species, a little more than 300,000 are insects.

Forest management is a branch of forestry concerned with overall administrative, legal, economic, and social aspects, as well as scientific and technical aspects, such as silviculture, protection, and forest regulation. This includes management for timber, aesthetics, recreation, urban values, water, wildlife, inland and nearshore fisheries, wood products, plant genetic resources, and other forest resource values. Management objectives can be for conservation, utilisation, or a mixture of the two. Techniques include timber extraction, planting and replanting of different species, building and maintenance of roads and pathways through forests, and preventing fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biodiversity of Ghana</span> Variety of life forms of Ghana

The wildlife of Ghana is composed of its biodiversity of flora and fauna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilanda Wilds</span>

Ilanda Wilds is a nature reserve along Amanzimtoti River in the town of Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This small area of land contains various habitat types, ranging from steep rocky slopes to various riverine habitats, forest and small patches of grassland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot</span> Southern Africa biodiversity hotspot

The Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot (MPA) is a biodiversity hotspot, a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity, in Southern Africa. It is situated near the south-eastern coast of Africa, occupying an area between the Great Escarpment and the Indian Ocean. The area is named after Maputaland, Pondoland and Albany. It stretches from the Albany Centre of Plant Endemism in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, through the Pondoland Centre of Plant Endemism and KwaZulu-Natal Province, the eastern side of Eswatini and into southern Mozambique and Mpumalanga. The Maputaland Centre of Plant Endemism is contained in northern KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mozambique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North-West University</span> Public university in South Africa

The North-West University is a public research university located on three campuses in Potchefstroom, Mahikeng and Vanderbijlpark in South Africa. The university came into existence through the merger of the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, which also had a branch in Vanderbijlpark, and the University of North-West in 2004. With its merged status, the North-West University became one of the largest universities in South Africa with the third largest student population in the country.

The Milnerton Racecourse Nature Reserve is a lowland conservation area located in the City of Cape Town, South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sathyabhama Das Biju</span> Indian herpetologist and conservationist

Sathyabhama Das Biju is an Indian amphibian biologist, wildlife conservationist and heads the Systematics Lab at the University of Delhi, Department of Environmental Studies. He is dubbed as the "Frogman of India" by media for his passion for frogs and for bringing fresh fascination for Indian amphibians. In an interview with Sanctuary Asia, he was introduced as "one of the world's foremost amphibian experts".

The marine protected areas of South Africa are in an area of coastline or ocean within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Republic of South Africa that is protected in terms of specific legislation for the benefit of the environment and the people who live in and use it. An MPA is a place where marine life can thrive under less pressure than unprotected areas. They are like underwater parks, and this healthy environment can benefit neighbouring areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SeaKeys</span> Collaborative marine biodiversity project in South Africa

SeaKeys is a large collaborative marine biodiversity project funded through the Foundational Biodiversity Information Program in South Africa. The purpose of the project is to collect and distribute genetic, species and ecosystem information relating to marine biodiversity in southern Africa, which may be used to support informed decision-making about the marine environment.

The Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans is a list of individuals the Mail & Guardian considers to be the most influential 200 Young South Africans for the year.

A Bilingual Field Guide to the Frogs of Zululand is a field guide meant to help readers identify frogs found in the Zululand region of South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province and to dispel misconceptions about frogs among AmaZulu of the region. This book is written in English and by co-authors Doctors Fortunate Mafeta Phaka, Edward C. Netherlands, Donnavan J.D. Kruger, and Professor Louis H. du Preez from the North-West University. Translation of the text from English to IsiZulu were done by Manzo Khulu. The South African National Biodiversity Institute published the book as part of their Suricata range of peer-reviewed publications meant to be an inclusive platform for all Africans and the continent's biodiversity

Rachel P. Wynberg is a South African biodiversity researcher and natural scientist who is a professor at the department of Environmental and Geography Sciences at the University of Cape Town.

<i>Breviceps carruthersi</i> Species of frog

Breviceps carruthersi or the Phinda rain frog or Carruthers' rain frog is a species of frog in the Breviceps genus endemic to South Africa. The Phinda rain frog is also known as Isinana sakwaPhinda in IsiZulu which is the local language spoken in this species' native range. An IsiZulu description of this anuran amphibian species appears in a field guide called A Bilingual Guide to the Frogs of Zululand. This frog was first described by Professor Louis H. du Preez, Doctor Edward C. Netherlands, and Professor Les Minter in 2017, and they named it in honour of the naturalist and author Vincent Caruthers.

<i>Breviceps passmorei</i> Species of frog

Breviceps passmorei, or Passmore's rain frog or Ndumo rain frog is a species of frog in the genus Breviceps endemic to South Africa.

Leticia "Letty" E. Afuang is a Filipina biologist and wildlife conservationist currently working as a professor under the Animal Biology Division of the Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS) at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), located in the Philippine province of Laguna. She is also one of the main curators for the Zoological and Wildlife Collection at the UPLB Museum of Natural History. While known as the "Snake Lady," her research as a herpetologist also focuses on other reptiles, amphibians and a wide array of herpetofauna across the Philippine islands. As an advocate for environmental sustainability, she has founded multiple organizations such as the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation and the Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis du Preez</span> South African professor of zoology

Louis Heyns Du Preez is a South African professor of zoology who specialises in parasitology and herpetology at the North-West University. Du Preez is best known for his research on South African frog species, writing a widely used wildlife guide for the frogs of Southern Africa, and contributions to global parasitology with special focus studies on polystome worms. His contributions to polystome research have led to a recently discovered Malagasy frog species, Blommersia dupreezi, being named in his honour.

References

  1. ↑ "Fortunate Phaka | natural-sciences.nwu.ac.za". natural-sciences.nwu.ac.za. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  2. ↑ "Fortunate Mafeta Phaka". Biodiversity Lab. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  3. ↑ "Dr Fortunate Phaka – South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity" . Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  4. ↑ says, Y. 4 A. W. (2014-10-14). "The Team – Youth 4 African Wildlife" . Retrieved 2023-08-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 "The Scribe – Fortunate Phaka". SuperScientists. 2023-03-15. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  6. ↑ "NWU visionary is one of Top 100 Young Mandelas | news.nwu.ac.za". news.nwu.ac.za. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  7. ↑ "Fortunate M. Phaka | Producer, director, writer". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  8. 1 2 Phaka, Fortunate Mafeta (2022). Biocultural diversity of herpetofauna in South Africa : State and relevance as a science-based policy tool for conservation and social inclusion (Thesis thesis). North-West University (South Africa).
  9. 1 2 Phaka, Fortunate (2022). "Biocultural diversity of herpetofauna in South Africa: State and relevance as a science-based policy tool for conservation and social inclusion".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ↑ Phaka, Fortunate Mafeta (2018). Amphibian diversity and community-based ecotourism in Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa (Thesis thesis). North-West University (South Africa), Potchefstroom Campus.
  11. ↑ "Here's how frogs communicate our need for connection". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  12. ↑ liezlscheepers (2017-12-04). "Twee nuwe boeke vertel meer oor paddas". Parys Gazette. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  13. ↑ Phaka, Fortunate M.; Vanhove, Maarten P.M.; du Preez, Louis H.; Hugé, Jean (March 2022). "Reviewing taxonomic bias in a megadiverse country: primary biodiversity data, cultural salience, and scientific interest of South African animals" (PDF). Environmental Reviews. 30 (1): 39–49. doi:10.1139/er-2020-0092. ISSN   1181-8700.
  14. ↑ Phaka, Fortunate; Netherlands, Edward; Steenberge, Maarten Van; Verheyen, Erik; Sonet, Gontran; Hugé, Jean; Preez, Louis Du; Vanhove, Maarten (2022-10-04). "Barcoding and traditional health practitioner perspectives are informative to monitor and conserve frogs and reptiles traded for traditional medicine in urban South Africa". Authorea. doi:10.22541/au.166487945.53921162/v1. hdl: 1942/39332 . Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  15. ↑ Phaka, Fortunate M.; Netherlands, Edward C.; Kruger, Donnavan J. D.; Du Preez, Louis H. (2019-03-26). "Folk taxonomy and indigenous names for frogs in Zululand, South Africa". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 15 (1): 17. doi: 10.1186/s13002-019-0294-3 . ISSN   1746-4269. PMC   6434812 . PMID   30914047.
  16. ↑ "Dr Fortunate Mafeta Phaka". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  17. ↑ Nordien, Debbie (2019-09-10). "Safari Giants". Safari Giants. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  18. ↑ elizeparker (2016-08-17). "Eco-interns show how bees can protect trees from elephants". Lowvelder. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  19. ↑ Films, Veldkijker (2010-10-14), Life and Wonder of Odonata , retrieved 2023-08-04
  20. ↑ Phaka, Fortunate M. (2011-05-18), Green Darkies (Documentary, Short), Ntokozo Mbuli, retrieved 2023-08-04
  21. ↑ Durn, Sarah (2014-10-02), Not on My Watch (Documentary, Short), Youth 4 African Wildlife, retrieved 2023-08-04
  22. ↑ Imvelogy (Documentary), Sugar Bean Pictures, 2021-09-13, retrieved 2023-08-04
  23. ↑ "Wildlife in Vernacular". www.wildvernac.org. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  24. ↑ Fortunate Phaka (2023). "SAIAB Briefing Note: Incorporating nature-based cultural practices into frog conservation planning". doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.26636.49280.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  25. ↑ "AmphibiaWeb Search". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  26. ↑ theethicalagency (2022-11-30). "Dr Fortunate Mafeta Phaka". Mail & Guardian Greening The Future. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  27. ↑ "The 'Glamorously Green' Ecologic Awards". Business Media MAGS. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  28. 1 2 https://natural-sciences.nwu.ac.za/sites/natural-sciences.nwu.ac.za/files/files/uesm/ENVIRA/ENVIRA-Spring-Edition-2022.pdf
  29. ↑ "#SABEnvironmentalAwards2019: All the winners". Bizcommunity. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  30. ↑ "Fortunate Phaka". mandela100.news24.com. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  31. ↑ "Awards". SA Wetland Society. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  32. ↑ Hansen, Candace. "Future Leaders of Amphibian Conservation Award". Amphibian Survival Alliance. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  33. ↑ Hansen, Candace. "Getting to know Fortunate Phaka". Amphibian Survival Alliance. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  34. ↑ https://mg.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2016-Young-South-Africans.pdf
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.